NASA Finds Clues That There's Flowing Water On Mars
At this point, the evidence is pretty convincing that there was once free-flowing water in abundance on the surface of Mars, so much so that the planet was likely inhabitable billions of years ago. And scientists studying Mars have discovered that water is still on Mars in the form of ice. But one question that remains unanswered is this: if water once flowed on Mars, does it still flow now?
There’s no definitive answer yet, but astronomers examining the question have honed in on ”recurring slope lineae” or RSL for short. These are dark lines that are observed moving down the slopes of some Martian mountains as temperatures on the surface rise. Some scientists studying Mars have suggested that these flows might be caused by saltwater containing a iron sulfate solution to keep it from freezing in Martian temperatures.
“Just like the RSL themselves, the strength of the spectral signatures varies according to the seasons. They’re stronger when it’s warmer and less significant when it’s colder,” said lead researcher Lujendra Ojha in a NASA press release.Now new images taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have shown new clues that yes, these RSL do in fact contain flowing water. This comes from two new reports that focused on the minerals left behind by the RSL. While the images didn’t find any signs of salt or water, they did find iron-containing minerals that weren’t found on mountains without RSL. And the presence of those minerals varied with the seasons.
The best explanation for these flows likely involves the flow of water, although dry processes are conceivable. The problem is that the spectral signatures of the iron minerals in RSL could be blocking out the spectral signs of water, making it hard for scientists to find a definitive answer.
“We still don’t have a smoking gun for existence of water in RSL, although we’re not sure how this process would take place without water,” said Ojha.
If further research continues to point to flowing water on Mars as the best explanation for RSL, then that’s a big deal – it would deepen our understanding of the Martian climate and increase the possibility that some form of life exists on Mars.
“The flow of water, even briny water, anywhere on Mars today would be a major discovery, impacting our understanding of present climate change on Mars and possibly indicating potential habitats for life near the surface on modern Mars,” Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project Scientist Richard Zurek said in the release.
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